The Lighthouse Keeper

★ “Segovia’s magical-realist art is playful and energetic. She draws the long beard of the lighthouse keeper — who lives “out where the foam starts its fizzing, and you don’t know if the beach is ending or beginning” — as a shoal of sardines, cascading from his chin like the surging sea itself. Though isolated, the keeper is a cheerful, colorful fellow who’s eager to help anyone in need. Standing on the deck at the top of a pink and red lighthouse, he wears a yellow suit with lime-green stripes, himself a beacon of neon on the blackest of nights. In one image, as he embraces a nearly lost soul whom he’s rescued, his beard, too, gently wraps around the sailor. And his dance of friendship with the warm, winking, bright-white moon, who “tells him about her travels across the world” and brings him news of storms and gales and waves, provides a beautiful, glowing visual counterpoint to this tale of selfless valor and compassion."—The New York Times

 

★STARRED REVIEW! “No need to fear—the lighthouse keeper is here! Alone amid a sea of restless waves and pitch-black nights, a lone lighthouse keeper rescues those in need. Snazzily dressed in round blue spectacles and a yellow and green striped suit with wide lapels, the keeper “embraces everyone he finds lost and alone, // and they leave feeling better / eager to get back home.” His most loving and complicated relationship is with the moon, the very entity controlling the vast waters he safeguards. He works on building their bond through waters calm and stormy, and eventually they form a genuine connection. This is a stunning look at the power of compassion and resilience, as well as the need to respect nature. Maude’s fantastic translation of Mexican author Fernández Vázquez’s original Spanish text is playful, with a rhyme scheme that scans well. Villanueva Segovia’s textured illustrations are beautifully scaled, capturing the awe of the quiet yet sometimes violent activity of the oceans—showcased in harrowing spreads of sailors caught in a shipwreck and waves crashing against rocks in bright pastel tones set against a deep rich black backdrop—while still maintaining a sense of whimsy throughout… A remarkable look at the importance of selfless acts.”—Kirkus Reviews

 

★“A surreal neon dream, this picture book is an ode to the sea, to connection, and to weathering the storm. Neon pinks, yellows, greens, and blues leap out from dark backdrops, depicting the lighthouse keeper’s ever-growing beard of small fishes, desperate sailors swirling in stormy seas, and the wink of a crescent moon as she bids farewell for another phase. Rhyming lines complete this enchanting picture book about a lonely, steadfast lighthouse keeper and the natural world that keeps him company."— Foreword Review

 

★“Am I the only one reminded of Tomi Ungerer when I look at this book? This story concerns a kindly lighthouse keeper who doesn’t just light his beacon every evening, but is on the perpetual lookout for anything and anyone that needs his help. Please take note of the fishy beard.”— Fuse 8, a School Library Journal blog by Betsy Bird.

 

★“Touching upon the importance of a lighthouse keeper, this picture book is a good choice for children’s collections and for those in search of this compelling, but little-mentioned, ­occupation.”— School Library Journal

 

★"If you find yourself on stormy seas, you’ll want this lighthouse keeper to be there! This magnificent character, rendered visually stunning by illustrator Mariana Villanueva Segovia, is dedicated to rescuing everyone who finds themselves in peril. The choice of colours in the illustrations is sometimes surprising but always powerful. The keeper, for example, is illustrated as wearing a striped yellow and green lapelled suit, and his beard is made of tiny fish. But one wouldn’t expect anything less from a character who is friends with the Moon. The award-winning story emphasises compassion and respect for nature, while the rhyming text imitates the undulation of the sea."— WorldKidLit